Alabama Crimson Tide: Derrick Green

SAN ANTONIO – ESPN 150 wide receiver James Quick (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) has drawn plenty of attention for his play through two practices for the East team in preparation for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

He’ll garner even more eyes his way on Saturday when he announces his commitment during the game.

Damon Sayles/ESPN.comESPN 150 WR James Quick is set to decide between Ohio State, Louisville and Oregon on Saturday.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder said he is down to Louisville, Ohio State and Oregon. Though his decision will come Saturday, it could be finalized by Wednesday morning, as he sits down to discuss his options with his parents, who are in town for the event.

“I am basically going to ask them which coach they have the best relationship with,” Quick said. “There has to be a relationship with the head coach and family as well.”

When asked if there was a head coach among his finalists that was stood out to him the most, he said no. But Louisville coach Charlie Strong and his tendency of playing freshmen is intriguing to him and is one of the main reasons that Louisville is in the mix.

The sales pitch for all of them is pretty much the same: Join our program, and early playing time will likely be there.

“They are all basically saying that I am going to get early playing time. Some are saying that I am going to get the ball more than others,” he said. “It’s all about early playing time, really.”

Quick has taken official visits to Louisville and Ohio State. He wasn’t able to make it to Oregon for an unofficial visit but has the Ducks squarely in the mix because of his relationship with the coaching staff.

“I have built a good relationship with their coaches and the offense that they run. It’s up-tempo, which really excites a player of my caliber,” he said.

Newsmaker: Last week, offensive tackle Jake Campos (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) wasn’t expecting to play football over his break. On Tuesday, he was preparing for a nationally televised appearance in a U.S. Army All-American Bowl uniform.

Campos, a three-star Iowa State commit, was called Sunday afternoon as a replacement for injured lineman Chris Fox (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa). By 6 a.m. Monday, he was on a flight to San Antonio. At the end of Tuesday, he was fully taking on the responsibility of fending off stud defensive linemen such as Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer), Justin Manning (Dallas/Kimball) and A’Shawn Robinson (Fort Worth, Texas/Arlington Heights).

“I was shocked at first, but then, I got really excited,” said Campos, a 6-7, 250-pound tackle who said he’s “110-percent committed” to Iowa State.

“It was so out of the blue, but it’s great to be here. At first, learning the plays was tough, but I got those down now. I’m just adjusting to right tackle. I was still working the kinks out, that’s all.”

Superlatives: The East defensive line really stepped up in afternoon practice during 11-on-11 action. Alabama defensive end commit Jonathan Allen (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) was unstoppable. Virginia Tech defensive end commit Wyatt Teller (Bealeton, Va./Liberty) also stepped up his game from Monday, intercepting a pass in the morning session from Auburn-bound quarterback Jeremy Johnson (Montgomery, Ala./Carver) and playing even better in the afternoon. … The best hands on the West team may not be on a wide receiver. ESPN 150 tight end DeSean Smith (Lake Charles, La./Barbe) made some great catches on Monday, and he continued to shine on Tuesday. Smith an LSU commitment, is the No. 5 tight end in the country. … The catch of the day from the East goes to ESPN 300 athlete Tyler Boyd (Clairton, Pa./Clairton), who ripped a ball away from Florida defensive back commitment Nick Washington (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian). An uncommitted, four-star athlete, Boyd is expected to announce his college future on Saturday. … ESPN 150 running back Derrick Green (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) continued to be the best running back for the East. He shined in the early morning practice, with help from a very good offensive line.

SAN ANTONIO -- ESPN 150 outside linebacker Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian) isn’t big on speaking publicly. He’d rather let his game do the talking -- and it speaks volumes.

On Monday, the 6-foot-5, 222-pound linebacker officially confirmed that he will announce his college plans during Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Oregon, Texas A&M and Ohio State are his three finalists.

Derrick Green is weighing his options -- all of his options. The ESPN 150 running back has already visited nine schools this summer, and he made a trip south over the weekend to check out three more.

The trip began with a stop in Tuscaloosa to visit the University of Alabama. It was the first time the Richmond, Va., resident had been on the Crimson Tide’s campus.

“It was really nice,” Green said. “I got there, spoke to my position coach, spoke to Coach [Nick] Saban, toured the campus. I had a good time seeing the facilities. I got to speak with the strength and conditioning coach. I really like him a lot. It was overall a good trip.”

TIGARD, Ore. -- Want to know how important The Opening is to ESPN 150 running back Derrick Green? So important that the Richmond (Va.) Hermitage High School standout was in the weight room at the players’ host hotel Wednesday afternoon -- a full day before the event officially kicks off.

Green, the nation’s No. 6 running back and No. 58 overall player in the 2013 class, was the first player to check into the host hotel on Wednesday, and he is entering Thursday’s action with the goal of leaving Oregon as the top running back. Since the Nike Football Training Camp in Baltimore in May, Green has lost 20 pounds and is now 6 foot and 215 pounds.

“[The Opening] is definitely a blessing, and I’m taking it seriously,” said Green, who was 5-11 and 235 pounds in Baltimore. “I’ve been getting ready and getting my mind focused on going out and winning.

The schedule for the third annual ESPN High School Football Kickoff was released Monday, and the event features 26 of the top high school teams from 15 states across the country. It will run from Aug. 24-26.

The three-day span of 13 games will showcase 11 recruits who are currently ranked in the ESPN 150, including University of Alabama targets Kendall Fuller (Olney, Md./Good Counsel), Jordan Cunningham (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School) and Derrick Green (Richmond, Va./Hermitage).